Adapter assembly for standard hand-lever operated machines

ABSTRACT

An adapter assembly for a laterally extending actuator shaft of a machine, which normally hand-lever operated, said assembly including foot pedal connecting means for operating the actuator shaft of the machine independently of and without effecting movement of the hand lever and vice versa.

United States Patent Inventor Anthony T. D'Andrea 121 S. Kenwood St.#20, Glendale, Calif. 91205 Appl. No. 868,847

Filed Oct. 23, 1969 Patented Aug. 24, 1971 ADAPTER ASSEMBLY FOR STANDARD HAND- LEVER OPERATED MACHINES 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 74/481 Int. CL 605g 11/00 Field ofSearch ..74/480, 481

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,476,703 7/1949 Cope 74/481 Primary Examiner-Martin P. Schwadron Assistant Examiner-B. L. Grossman Attorney-Birch and Birch ABSTRACT: An adapter assembly for a laterally extending actuator shaft of a machine, which normally hand-lever operated, said assembly including foot pedal connecting means for operating the actuator shaft of the machine independently of and without effecting movement of the hand lever and vice versa.

The present invention relates to the adaptation of normally hand-lever actuated mechanisms to provide for foot pedal arrangements for activating such mechanisms independently and in lieu of the hand lever, if desired.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel adapter assembly for attachment to the standard hand lever shaft of a machine, whereby the machine may be efficiently selectively operated by either the hand lever or the foot pedal.

The novel adapter assembly of this invention provides for mounting the machines to be operated in elevated positions for foot pedal operation, where hand crank or lever operation, due to the machines elevated position, may be difficult for hand operation by some operators, and is an improvement of the mechanism of my prior patent, 3,435,699, for amusement mechanisms, such as vending and calculating machines, or the like.

With the foregoing, various other objects of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a machine and supporting stand with the front panel thereof partly broken away to show the operating connections from laterally extending actuator shaft of the machine on which the present invention adapter assembly means, including the hand and foot lever operator, is mounted;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the machine with an end view of the adapter assembly means including the hand and foot lever operators of FlG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross section view of part of the machine sidewalls withthe laterally extending actuator shaft and the adapter assembly parts thereon;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the adapter assembly with the hand lever and ratchet drive connection thereof in the shaft extension or hub portion for hand lever operation taken on line 4- 4 of H6. 3;

FlG. 5 is a transverse section view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3 adjacent the'ratchet connection of the sprocket means with the shaft extension or hub portion for foot pedal operation, and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the respective spring and pawl members used with the respective hand lever ratchet means and foot lever and sprocket ratchet means.

Referring to the drawings in more detail and, more particularly, to FIGS. 1 and 3, my invention comprises a standard laterally extending actuator shaft 10 from any generally wellknown type of vending or calculating machine/\ on which the hand lever or crank 11 is mounted, in combination with a novel adapter assembly B. This novel adapter'assembly B includes'a retainer washer and bolt 13, secured in the end of a shaft extension or adapter hub 14 suitably secured to thefree end of shaft 10 as by key means 15, to thereby'be turnable with the standard main actuator shaft 10. The shaft extension or hub 14 is formed'with an open entrant end 16 with a bore 17 and an annular out-turned thrust flange 18 and isprovided with a solid portion 20 at the opposite end. The entrant end of the hub fits over and is suitably secured to the free end of the shaft 10 to turn therewith when either the hand lever or foot pedal is operated, as will be hereinafter explained. The outer diameter of the extension 14 is smooth in the provision of an elongated bearing surface 19.

The bearing surface 19 of the hub 14 adjacent its-free end provides a bearing support for a ratchet bearing ring 21 formed with a recess 22 in which is mounted a ratchet pawl 23. This ratchet pawl 23 is biased inwardly by a spring 210 into engagement with the bearing surface 19 of hub 14 and is engageable with a one-way notch or ratchet tooth 24 when the hand lever 11 is pulled clockwise, to thereby turn the hub 14 and the shaft 10 to activate the mechanism of the machine A, see FIG. 4.

Mounted between the thrust flange 18 and the handle ratchet bearing ring 21 coaxially on'the hub 14 is a second hub 25. This second hub 25, hereinafter termed the sprocket wheel ratchet hub, is formed with an annular reduced section 26 to provide an annular land 28 and is notched to form a oneway ratchet tooth in the outer circumference, see FIG. 5, to coact with a pivoted pawl 27 biased into contact by a spring 29 with the said one-way ratchet tooth 30 when the foot lever is o depressed. Secured to the surface of the annular land 28 is a sprocket wheel 31, see FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

The sprocket wheel and hub 25 will slip and ride free of rotation of the hub 14 by the hand lever ratchet ring on which the sprocket wheel hub 25 is also mounted, upon rotation of the hub 14 clockwise by a pull on the handle 11. I

However, the sprocket ratchet ring 25 and sprocket wheel 31, with the usual teeth 32, has looped around the same a chain 33, see FIGS. 1 and 2, are arranged to be foot operated. This chain has the link at one end thereof secured to suitable means, such as a pin 34 carried by a foot lever 35 and thelink at the opposite end is suitably secured to a pin 39 carried by a foot lever return means, such as a coil spring 37 suitably sup ported in a holder or bracket adjacent the base of the machine 10.

The foot lever 35, connected to an end of the chain, at its free end is provided with a pedal 38 and may be pivoted on the transverse pin 39 in a bifurcated support bracket 40 mounted on the cabinet floor which supports the machine, see FIGS. 1 and 2.

OPERATION From the foregoing description, it is believed clear that operation of the hand lever 11 or operation of the foot lever 35 will cause the hub 14 and the shaft 10 to rotate due to the engagement therewith of the spring biased pawls 23 or 27, respectively.

Because of the independently separate one-way ratchet arrangements for mounting the hand lever and the-sprocket wheel 31, operation of either the foot pedal lever or the hand lever can take place independently of each other. Thus, when the foot pedal is depressed to turn the sprocket wheel clockwise, the hand lever does not move and conversely the same is true when the hand lever is pulled clockwise, the foot lever and sprocket wheel do not move.

Without further description, -it is believed that the advantages over the prior art are apparent and while only one embodiment is illustrated, it is to be'expressly understood that the same is not limited thereto as various changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of the parts illustrated, as will now likely occur to others and those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In combination, an adapter assembly attached to a standard hand lever operated machine, having a main operating shaft, said assembly comprising an extension shaft with a bore portion secured to the free end'of the said main shaft, said extension shaft providing a hub with axially spaced ratchet teeth and providing an elongated bearing surface, first and second ratchet rings mounted coaxially on said bearing surface of said extension shaft, hand lever means connected to said first of said ratchet rings to turn said main shaft to operate a machine, and foot lever means connected to said second of said ratchet rings to provide operation of the machine independently of said handle lever.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second ratchet ring is secured to a sprocket wheel and chain operator means, said chain being connected to said foot lever means.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said respective ratchet rings are secured axially in said main shaft by retainer means mounted in .the free end of said extension shaft.

spaced ratchet teeth, an operating handle with a pawl carrying ratchet ring on one portion of said bearing surface coacting with one of said ratchet teeth, and a chain and sprocket with a pawl carrying ratchet ring on another portion of said bearing surface coacting with the other of said ratchet teeth for foot lever control of the machine independent of machine control by said operating handle. 

1. In combination, an adapter assembly attached to a standard hand lever operated machine, having a main operating shaft, said assembly comprising an extension shaft with a bore portion secured to the free end of the said main shaft, said extension shaft providing a hub with axially spaced ratchet teeth and providing an elongated bearing surface, first and second ratchet rings mounted coaxially on said bearing surface of said extension shaft, hand lever means connected to said first of said ratchet rings to turn said main shaft to operate a machine, and foot lever means connected to said second of said ratchet rings to provide operation of the machine independently of said handle lever.
 2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second ratchet ring is secured to a sprocket wheeL and chain operator means, said chain being connected to said foot lever means.
 3. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said respective ratchet rings are secured axially in said main shaft by retainer means mounted in the free end of said extension shaft.
 4. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said foot lever means includes return means for said foot lever means after each operation thereof.
 5. A machine with standard operating mechanism including a lateral actuator shaft extending exteriorly of the machine, said shaft being modified by addition thereto coaxially of a hub on the exteriorly extended end thereof, said hub having an elongated exterior bearing surface, said surface having axially spaced ratchet teeth, an operating handle with a pawl carrying ratchet ring on one portion of said bearing surface coacting with one of said ratchet teeth, and a chain and sprocket with a pawl carrying ratchet ring on another portion of said bearing surface coacting with the other of said ratchet teeth for foot lever control of the machine independent of machine control by said operating handle. 